Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-07-21
THE PENSION CONTROVERSY

The FENSION SOiN NV I'O .
An Inspired Article Claiming That the
President and His Administration Have
Acted Generously and Fairly Toward
Grand Army Men.
WASHINGTON, July 15-An article IS pub
lished this morning defending the Presi-
dent and the administration against charges
made by dissatisfied Grand Army men
The article is evidently inspired and en-
deayors to prove by facts and figures that
the President has generously treated the
old soldiers of the Republic. The following
are the salient points:
A number of partisans and few claim agents
in Washington are laboring to convince the
country that President Cleveland IS an enemy
to Union soldiers and opposed to liberal pen
sion legislation. Is the charge true! Let US
see what the official records disclose on tnls
subject. President Grant from 1870 TO 1877 IN
elusive, a period of eight years, approved 40
private pension acts; President Hayes from
1877 to 1881 inclusive, period OF four years, ap
proved BOB private pension acts; Presidents
Garfield and Arthur from 1882 to 1885 inclusive
n period of four years, approved go private
pension acts; President Cleveland from 1886 TO
1887 inclusive, period of only two years, mas
approved S63 private pension acts. Tnls Is
seVenty-seVen more than Presidents Grant an q
Hayes approved in twelve years and 127 more
than Presidents Garfield and Arthur approved
in four years. These figures are taken from
the statutes of the United States and are cor
rect.
What else has President Cleveland done for
Union soldiers and their widows, orphans and
dependent relatives? First, he has appointed
more ex-Union soldiers to Office than any other
President. He approved the act OF March ID,
1886, which increased to $12 per month the pen
sion of az, $50 widows, minors and dependent rel
atives of Union soldiers of the late war. He APP
proved the act of August A, 1886, which increased
the pension of 10000 crippled and manned Union
soldiers of the late from S24 to $50, from $50
to S36 and from $50 and S37 to S45 per month.
He approved the act of January 90, 1887, which
placed on the pension rolls over 25 600 survivors
and widows of the war with Mexico. This is
the Official record of President Cleveland upon
the subject ofRensions to soldiers, and has been
made in the first two years of his administra-
ton. This record is unassailable and no amount
of reckless denunciation and abuse can break it
down.
Against this the enemies of President Cleve-
land can point to nothing which they disapprove
except his vetoes of 123 unjust private pension
acts and the veto of the Dependent Pension
bill. - That he was right in vetoing every one of
these private pension bills a reading of the
vetoes and an examination of the records in the
case will show, and the veto of the Dependent
Pension bill was demanded almost unanimously
by the press of the country well as by think
ing men of all parties, both in and out of the
ranks of the Union soldiers.
What has been done in two years in the Pen
sion ONCE under the administration of Commits
sioner Black? From July 1, 1885. to June 30,
1887, inclusive, period of two years, 266,s97
pension certificates of all classes were issued;
from July /, 1885, to June 80, 1885, inclusive a
period of two years, 129,517 pension certificates
of all classes were issued-being an increase of
1885, $50 certificates in favor of the first two years
under Democratic rule over the preceding two
years of Republican rule. From July !. 1885,
to June 80, 1887, inclusive, there were dsbursed
account of pensions, S139 5S4 go. As from July
I, 1885, to June 30, 1885, q period of two years,
there were disbursed on account of pensions
S12a, 967, s43 .46-being an increase of S16,-
under Democratic administration over the
last two years under Republican administra-
ton. On July /, 1888, there were 3O3,65S pen
sioners upon the rolls; on July 1, 1885, there
were upon the rolls 345, 125 pensioners-being a
net increase to the rolls during the last two
years under Republican rule of Al, 467; on July
!, 1887, there were upon the rolls fully 402, 900
pensioners-a net gain to the rolls during the
first two years under Democratic rule of sc, 8s5,
or Ii, 40S more of net gam to the rolls during
the first two years of President Cleveland's ad-
ministration than the last two years of Presi-
dent Arthur's administration, and this in the
face of the fact that the clerical force has been
reduced 124 within that time and that the death
rate among the soldiers is rapidly increasing as
years go by.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1887,
liz, $50 certificates of all classes issued by
the Bureau of Pensions, of which 1874 were
original. The highest number of original GER
tifcateS ever issued in one year before was in
1866, when there were so, III; so that the num-
Der of original certificates issued during the
year just closed is SOFT in excess of the high
est number ever before issued in the history f
the bureau. The fruits of the administration of
President Cleveland show beyond cavil that the
Union soldiers of the country never had a bet
ter friend
The republican editors are some